“People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom.”
Naval Ravikant
At least once a month, I find myself going over online wishlists. As you get older, you get more money and upgrade your lifestyle. I never got around to doing this for some reason, but I feel that compulsion. As soon as I notice this, I stop because I remember my true north: freedom. The best thing money can buy isn’t a fancy watch, a faster car, or a bigger television. The best thing money can buy is freedom. Let me explain.
Having a simple lifestyle without luxuries is the best thing you can do because you’ll never feel the pressure to get more money so you can buy more stuff. This means you’re happy with what you have. There are expectations, of course, and I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t buy nice things. I suggest you figure out which things you like the most so you can focus on those and ignore everything else. I like the adage, “You can have anything you want, but not everything you want.” When you want everything, by definition, you’ll never be satisfied. And the problem with money is that you can always have more.
I always save and invest first, rather than spend money on something. I do that because whenever I save and invest, I’m buying freedom or at least a part of it. Of course, that implies I’m not spending money on something that gives me pleasure now. Essentially, I’m delaying immediate pleasure to get some form of reward in the future. I had to learn that the hard way. At some point, I found myself in a difficult financial position where I had a lot of things but no savings or investments. That is a worst-case scenario, a nightmare I never want to relive. Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.
I may never get rid of the impulse to go over my Amazon wishlist. But buying something nice is okay if I save and invest first. Ultimately, money means something different to everyone, but having a financial cushion when you desperately need it is priceless. The moment you look at something expensive and think to yourself, “I don’t need that”, that’s when you’re free.
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